It is encouraging to hear how God is at work in and through members of our church. Check out Priya Samuel's story below about how God has been using WhatsApp to share the gospel with her friends and family!

Proverbs 16:9 says, “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.” This Scripture was reinforced in my life during this past year. As a family we had many plans for 2020 – the biggest one being to move forward with our Mission plans. We had come to the stage in the application process which required Alex to find a job that would be less demanding, to undergo the missions training, fund raising, travel, etc.

Unfortunately, when COVID arrived it was clear that Alex could not consider leaving his job at this time and we came to a realization that God had other plans for us in 2020!

The Lord reinforced this truth to me: that all the friends and family in my life, are orchestrated by God, for His glory! I can see this in the way he has been using my texting relationships over WhatsApp.

Through WhatsApp I have been able to keep in touch with my college friends who are staunch Hindus. I used to share the Gospel with them while in India. Their fear of death by the pandemic has opened the door for me to share and reinforce Gospel truths. I have been stressing the freedom they can have in Jesus, where ‘to live is Christ and to die is gain’. They are listening, but no commitments to Christ have yet been made.

WhatsApp has also enabled me to pray with my mother often. In November, the Lord impressed a burden on my heart to study the Gospel of John with my father, as I am not sure of his standing with God. He has been very receptive - actively listening and sharing, during our study. It has been a tremendous blessing and I am thankful to God for this opportunity!!

I have also been able to develop a friendship with a friend’s friend over WhatsApp. Her little girl was unexpectedly ill and the doctors said they couldn’t help her. I and my group of praying friends prayed for God to heal her and for her and her family to come to know Christ through this. By the pure grace of God, she miraculously got better with no medicine! While her family are still Hindus, I’ve been able to share the Gospel with this new friend and am in regular communication with her. She recently shared that she secretly believes only in Jesus but the extent of how true this is, is something that only time will tell. God only knows and God is at work!

As an ambassador of the Lord, I am OBLIGATED to share the Gospel (The BEST News) with those around me. I was saved by the grace of God, so how can I keep this amazing news to myself? It has been hard to do this at times, because I am fearful of man and of being rejected, but God has given me freedom from this in 2020. I have shared boldly, at the risk of losing these friendships and oh the JOY that has come to me, is beyond anything I could wish for. My prayer is to make sharing the Gospel and shedding the light of Christ- a spiritual habit- something that will come naturally to me by the power and leading of the Holy Spirit.

Members on Mission: Priya Samuel